Here we are in the Animal Village. Let's see what's going on:
Marin's not here, but I can do a cover version! I whip out my ocarina:
The bunny does not care. I realise now that the little jumps after Link finishes playing look like enthusiasm, but that's just the bunny's idle animation. It says the same thing if spoken to again. Oh well.
Yarna Desert? There's a way to get there to the south, but you might not be able to get through if that lazy walrus is in the way!
I head into the house on the left, and learn that I'm probably gonna have to do something about a walrus. OK, I'll add it to the list. In the other house:
Ya, I am Schule Donavitch! Zee mermaid statue by zee bay iz my masterpiece! ... To tell you zee truth, zis werk iz not complete! Zee art, it'z... difficult for you to grasp, iz it not?
I think this must be Sale's brother, the artist! Sale didn't give his last name though, so it could be coincidence. Zee art is indeed difficult for me to grasp. It does not obviously resemble the model, who asks Link to leave her alone when you try to speak to her. I've not had much to do with the art world, but I presume distracting someone when they're trying to maintain a pose is a faux pas.
In the Japanese version of the game, I believe she's a nude model, and covers up with a towel when you enter (in this version she's also nude, bow aside, but only sits down rather than covering up). That might provide an alternate explanation for her rudeness to Link. I've not checked the Japanese version to compare, because I prefer a game in which Link doesn't try to creep on an artist's model.
Hey! Did ya know Animal Village and Mabe Village are sister cities? Yes, even though they aren't large enough to be called cities... Anyway, I heard from a very good source that they have a Dream Shrine in Mabe, and that it has something good inside... Is that true?
I meet another bunny, who tells me about the Dream Shrine, which I've already looted. I show it what I got there, but again the bunny doesn't show any interest.
You don't know the proper etiquette when dealing with a lady, do you? You should have brought flowers or something, then I might be more inclined to talk with you... Oh yes, in my case, hibiscus are best...
This goat, who appears to be writing a letter, won't talk to Link until he turns his honeycomb into a flower somehow. Let's add that to the list.
Lately there have been a lot of monsters in the area, so we can't go to Mabe Village... I wonder how Marin is doing?
The house next door is empty, so I head south. I try to get into the well here, but fail. I'll add it to my list, but it might just be a well. The bunny delivers a pretty standard NPC line, and I head into the house. There's a bear in there! I wonder if it likes honeycomb?
It does!
Hi ho! Yeah, I know, that tub of goo is asleep right in the way to Yarna Desert! Once he's asleep he won't budge for a loooooonng time. But hey! Take Little Marin and wake him up with her song! That slob would wake up with a jump if he heard her sing, for sure! Heh heh heh!
It's been hinted at, but the bear states directly that I should bring Marin here. I bring up my inventory to see the pineapple in it, then head south to another teleporter. That'll be handy for getting Marin here quickly. The fourth screen of the village proper is empty, which I'm guessing means something will happen there later.
For now I head south and find the walrus blocking the entrance to the Yarna Desert. If you missed the hints so far, speaking to him reveals he's dreaming about Marin. I try out the "Ballad of the Wind Fish" anyway, since it's supposed to be a song of awakening, but it doesn't work. Carrying on up the path leads me to a cracked wall, but I'm still out of bombs, so I can't open it up yet.
Instead, I head back out of the village and to the path I missed last time, which takes me to an area full of columns and strange statues. At least, they look like statues. Get too close to some of them, and...
They come alive! I can't seem to hurt them with my sword, but they can hurt me plenty: Link loses two full hearts per hit. Ouch!
I carry on deeper into the area anyway. In that last screenshot, one of the statues looks slightly different:
Activating it reveals that it's standing over a stairway, which leads to a secret seashell. If I can collect a lot of those, something good is bound to happen.
Carrying on from there I find the entrance to some kind of building. Let's look inside:
The first room has some pots, which leave what I presume are arrows behind when lifted. In the second room, a boss! Let's duel:
My sword isn't working. This guy is like a bigger version of the statues outside.
I seem to be able to land a hit by using the dash attack, but then it jumps up, knocking me down when it lands.
I try to avoid falling over using the feather, but I quickly lose the last of my hearts. Fortunately, I have Tracy's potion, and they're restored. I'm still in this thing!
Or not. If I were to throw myself at it over and over, I might eventually make it, but having to keep switching between the boots and the feather is a serious impediment, and it does a lot of damage per hit. I think I'll take the arrows in the foyer as a clue and come back when I have the bow.
Speaking of which, I take the teleport back to Mabe Village and abuse the Trendy Game until I can afford it. I was hoping to avoid any more of that, but I was pretty close anyway. I actually max out my wallet at 999 Rupees, which is only just enough to make the purchase. There it is in my inventory, with a full quiver of 20 arrows.
And here it is in action. Kind of looks like Link isn't actually using the bow, doesn't it?
Marin? She likes to go stare at the ocean all by herself... Why? Hey, I'm just a kid, don't ask me!
I get a bit more cash at the Trendy Game and restock my bombs, then I head for Marin's usual hang-out by the Flying Rooster statue. She isn't there, but the kid gives me a hint.
I check her house, just in case, and find a note saying she's gone to the beach, like the kid suggested. Now that I know where she is, I've got a starving man to save! I head away from the beach and back to Papahl.
Papahl may be starving, but making this dig is on my list as well. Unfortunately, I don't turn anything up.
He wasn't hungry for honeycomb, but Papahl is primed for pineapple.
Look at him go!
Delicious! Yum! I'm filled with energy, now!
Papahl gives me the very flower I was asked for only minutes ago, then continues to hoe into the pineapple. I'm glad he likes it.
On the way back down I take a detour. This mushroom is on my list.
Rather, it was on my list. It doesn't even drop anything, but at least I can cross it off now.
While I'm there I take another shot at jumping over this sort of gap. If you watch the gif closely, Link gets a little upward boost when he crosses the edge of the cliff, but loses forward momentum and lands in the water. I'm pretty sure now it can't be done. Something else I noticed attempting this jump several times: you don't lose any hearts for falling in the water.
I head to the beach, and stop by Sale's place, but my meeting his brother hasn't changed the dialogue. I also see the monkey again. I have a new arrow in my quiver that might come in handy here:
The Pegasus Boots let me knock the monkey from the tree, and it runs off. I also tried the bow, but it didn't work.
I head down to the secluded beach and find Marin. Now, I'm not usually the sort of LPer to include soundtrack links in my posts, but by coincidence I've been listening to this track with my daughters a lot lately, so here it is.
Oh, Link, I'm glad you found this place. Will you stay and talk to me for a while?
Marin turns to Link as he approaches. You can say no here, in which case you'll have to leave the screen, come back, and give a better answer.
I say the right thing.
Link and Marin sit on a log and look out at the ocean and the birds.
I wonder where these coconut trees come from? ...Tarin says there is nothing beyond the sea, but I believe there must be something over there... When I discovered you, Link, my heart skipped a beat! I thought, this person has come to give us a message...
Marin shares her deepest thoughts with Link.
It's hard to read Link's reaction.
If I was a sea gull, I would fly as far as I could! I would fly to far away places and sing for many people! ...If I wish to the Wind Fish, I wonder if my dream will come true... ... ...
Marin thinks for a bit, then continues, telling Link her hopes and dreams.
Marin looks at Link again, but he's not giving her anything. She challenges him. Link is kind of a blank slate, which doesn't serve him well in this conversation, but I'm choosing to read him as unsure of how to respond rather than just not listening. I choose "Yeah".
I want to know everything about you...Err...Uhh, Ha ha ha ha!
Marin perhaps lets slip a little more than she meant to. She's really laying it on the line here, in probably the most significant moment of character development in the game. How does Link respond?
Hunh? The walrus wants me to go to him? It doesn't matter, I will go with you to him...
Not well, it seems. Link, faced with a situation he can't stab, explode, or jump his way out of, doesn't respond to Marin's outpouring of emotion, and instead asks her for a favour. I think there are two ways to read this. The first is that Link is basically a machine that exists to do the player's bidding in the game. The player wants Marin to get the walrus out of the way, so Link waits for her to finish talking, then gets on with his task. Normally I kind of enjoy the idea of Link as this blank idiot running around solving problems, killing stuff, and helping people with no real connection to what he's doing, but in this scene I hate it. Marin pours her heart out, and Link crushes her without even knowing he's doing it. Awful. The second read is that Link, a young man lacking in social skills, doesn't know how to express himself and so says the first thing he can think of, that he needs her help with the walrus. If you think of Link as a link between the game world and the player, it seems Nintendo has my number here.
You got Marin! Is this your big chance?
Link, buddy, you just blew your big chance.
If we go with my first reading of the scene, Link follows up crushing Marin by literally objectifying her. Gross. Alternatively, it's a cute gag, and the objectification is excused by Marin having just established herself as the most substantially characterised person in the game.
Once Link puts Marin down, she follows him around.
Hey... Where're you two going together? Hunh? Uh, I didn't mean anything... I'm just a kid!
I could head straight for the Animal Village, but there are a few things you can do while Marin is with you. The kids have different dialogue, for one.
Link, do you always look in other people's drawers?
Marin will comment on your invasion of privacy if you snoop. This is somewhat undermined by the fact that we're in the library.
There's some slapstick.
And some more. If you come here without enough cash, Marin will still ask to play but you'll be turned away. She won't ask again if you return.
Unnnngh! Owwwww! ... ... ... ... I've sure lost my taste for honey!
Tarin has returned home, apparently covered in stings.
Another comment on Link's bad manners.
Not very good... Eh? What? Did I say something? No, you're hearing things...
I return to the Flying Rooster statue, where Marin normally sings, and break out the ocarina, hoping she'll join me. Instead, she comments on Link's ability. Harsh!
Papahl is back, too. I take the teleport back to Animal Village. All the bunnies now say the same thing.
HI HO! Little Marin! Welcome! ... ... ... ... Oh, shucks! You are here too... Sorry...
Nice to see you, too, chef.
Oh, you brought me a hibiscus! How sweet! Well, since you are such a gentleman I have a request to make of you. Will you listen? I would like you to take this letter to a Mr. Write who lives on the border of the Mysterious Forest, please!
The goat doesn't react to Marin, but takes the flower. Now that I've done something for her, she asks me to do something else too, giving me a letter for Mr. Write.
You know, sometimes I can't help eating a delicious piece of paper, even if it's a letter to my darling Mr. Write... How embarrassing!
I suspect the reason the letter looks wrong in this image is that Marin being with me has overloaded the sprite limit, but who knows? Maybe it's the flower, now visible in the pot by the goat's desk.
I head out of town and blow the entrance to the cave north of the stone field. It looks like a fairy cave, but there's no-one inside. Maybe it's because I have full health already? I head down to the statue area and bring one of them to life. I'm expecting arrows to work on the boss, but will they work on the minions?
They will!
Great! Dig it! Dig it! Dig to the center of the earth!!
I reach the end of the area with some health missing, and decide to dig up the area to try to find heart drops. In the process, I learn of another thing Marin can say.
And say, and say, and say. I'm starting to regret bringing her here. I don't even find any health!
Eh? You want me to go in there? No, I think I'll wait out here... Take care of yourself, Link!
Link! You're back! Are you hurt?
She has things to say on entering and exiting dungeons, too. Since I'm low on arrows, I go in and out repeatedly to get the two that drop from the pots. Each time I enter or exit I get the same speech. Really regretting coming here with Marin now.
For all that worry about health, it doesn't land a hit. I equip the bow and the feather, and it's all over quickly.
Interestingly (I hope), the boss has several phases, losing first its shield and then its helmet. If that makes any difference to its patterns, I killed it too quickly to find out. It drops the face key, but I have no idea what it opens.
TO THE FINDER... THE ISLE OF KOHOLINT, IS BUT AN ILLUSION... HUMAN, MONSTER, SEA, SKY... A SCENE ON THE LID OF A SLEEPER'S EYE... AWAKE THE DREAMER, AND KOHOLINT WILL VANISH MUCH LIKE A BUBBLE ON A NEEDLE... CAST-AWAY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH!
... ... ... ...
What? Illusion?
In the dim room beyond, Link finds an image of the owl and what might be a whale, and an inscription. According to this, Link is within the dream of the Wind Fish (in name only, since a whale is neither). His quest to wake it will cause the island to cease to exist. Maybe it's for the best that Marin waited outside.
Hoot! I see you have read the relief... While it does say the island is but a dream of the Wind Fish, no one is really sure... Just as you cannot know if a chest holds treasure until you open it, so you cannot tell if this is a dream until you awaken... The only one who knows for sure is the Wind Fish... Trust your feelings... Someday you will know for sure...
Outside, the owl shows up again to lend some uncertainty. Marin listens in.
The owl flies away.
I stop through the fairy cave on the way out, this time finding a fairy there. Then I lose almost all my health getting back to the village, so I take the teleporter back to the prairie and the fairy there.
While I'm in the area, I ram this tree and a fairy pops out. Wish I'd known that would happen before making the trek from here to the fairy cave with only half a heart! This has implications for my to-do list: how many trees can I ram like this? I'll have to take a look at the map and make a list. Ugh.
I head back to the Animal Village. Just one more thing to do before waking the walrus: I open the cave at the north-east of the village. Unfortunately I'll need to be able to cross bigger gaps than I can now to reach the piece of heart.
Yes, it's that lazy walrus! Shall we give him a little surprise?
Let's do it!
Marin sings the "Ballad of the Wind Fish", a song of awakening, and the walrus awakes and gets out of the way. Nice!
Then a bunny shows up and calls Marin back to the village.
Link is alone again.
Next Time:
The Yarna Desert.
Map:
To-Do:
- Reach the stairs south of the Mermaid statue.
- Find another way to cross long gaps.
-Reach the last signpost in the signpost maze.
-Cross the gap to the left of the Kanalet Castle gates.
-Cross the river east of the Seashell Mansion.
-Cross the water east of Angler's Tunnel.
-Get the chest in the north cave in the Mysterious Forest.
-Get the chest near the crystals in the cave in the mountain to the east of Mt. Tamaranch.
-Cross the gap over water to the south-west of the Animal Village.
-Get the piece of heart in the cave at the north-east of the Animal Village. - Learn to swim.
-Explore the waters and caves near Angler's Tunnel.
-Visit the person swimming in Martha's Bay.
-Explore the waters of Martha's Bay.
-Cut the bush on the island southwest of the Mermaid statue.
-Cut the bush on the island in the lake north of Richard's place.
-Cross the water to the east of the waterfall in the mountains near where Papahl got lost.
-Check for secrets under the bridge south-west of the Animal Village.
-Do something with the statues on the island north of the Animal Village.
-Reach the cave entrance north of the stone field north of the Animal Village. - Ram any trees I come across.
-By the teleport in the prairie.
-By the fairy cave in the prairie.
-By Mr. Write's house.
-South of the northern chest in the mysterious forest.
-South of the pond in the mysterious forest.
-North of the southern chest in the mysterious forest.
-South of the fishing pond in Mabe Village. (x2)
-By Marin and Tarin's house.
-Near Tail Cave.
-In the signpost maze.
-Near the phone booth north of the signpost maze.
-North of the Witch's hut.
-East of the dilapidated house.
-East of Kanalet Castle.
-South of the Seashell Mansion.
-Further south of the Seashell Mansion.
-South-west of Angler's Tunnel.
-West of the Animal Village.
-South-west of the Animal Village.
-South of the Animal Village.
-By the owl statue north-east of the stone field. Blow up the entrance of the cave at the north-east of the Animal VillageBlow up the entrance to the cave near the stone field north of the Animal Village.Take the south-east pathway from the stone field north of the Animal Village.- Find a way to get past cracked (but non-explodable) rocks.
-Get past the cracked rock north of the phone booth near Write's place.
-Get past the cracked rocks on Mt Tamaranch.
-Get past the cracked rocks on the mountains east of Mt Tamaranch. - Find the key to Angler Keyhole.
- Do something with the Flying Rooster statue.
- Do something with the Mermaid statue.
- Do something at the grave west of the witch's hut.
- Do something at Manbo's Pond.
Find Marin at the beach.Keep a look out for Papahl in the hills later.
-Find some vittles for Papahl.Dig up the dead end near where Papahl got lost.Find something to do with the honeycomb.Find something to do with the pineapple.Find a hibiscus flower for the goat in the Animal Village.Give the hibiscus flower to the goat in the Animal Village.- Give the goat's letter to Mr Write.
Meet Sale's brother.- Grasp Schule's art.
- Help Mr Write receive a letter.
Find out where Tarin went after being chased off by bees.- Get to the owl statue to the right of the lake above Richard's place.
-Figure out how to kill the moving skulls and explore the cave under the owl. - Kill the moving skull in the cave under Richard's house.
Kill the electric jelly.
-Try arrows.Buy a bow.Kill the boss in the building north of the Animal Village.Do something at the dead end bit of beach south of the chest.- Do something in the cave on the beach.
- Reach the piece of heart in the cave in the mountain to the east of Mt. Tamaranch.
- Get to the other side of the hole in the cave two screens east of Angler's Tunnel.
Kill the flying mushroom south of Angler's Tunnel.Kill the statues in the area north of the Animal Village.- Do something in the house east of the beach.
- Do something in the vacant area in the Animal Village.
- Get into the closed off area northeast of the house east of the beach.
- Jump down the well in the Animal Village.
Bring Marin to the Animal Village.Get the walrus out of the way to Yarna Desert.- Collect a lot of secret seashells.
-Have something pretty ordinary happen.
-Have something good happen. - Learn to play many songs.
-Learn to play the "Ballad of the Wind Fish". - Find a use for the Face Key.
- Get a magnifying glass.
-Read 'Dark Secrets and Mysteries of Koholint'. - Find the five remaining instruments.
- Play the eight instruments in front of the Wind Fish Egg.
-Wake the Wind Fish. - Get off the island, I guess?
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